In June 2022, dnata announced that it would invest US$100 million in green operations in two years to further enhance its global environmental efficiency globally.

Steve Allen, CEO of dnata Group, said: “We are proud to have made significant progress on improving our environmental performance since the announcement of our strategic objectives. I thank each member of our team for their hard work and contribution to our green initiatives that help us make a difference across our global operations. 

“We will continue our investments and efforts alongside our partners to further reduce our environmental footprint.”

Investing in renewable energy

As part of its efforts to further improve global resource efficiency, dnata has continued to make significant investments in renewable energy. This includes the installation of rooftop solar power systems across its existing facilities.

dnata has installed solar panels at its operating facilities in Singapore, and at its SnapFresh facility in Australia. These generate over 4,300 MWh of renewable electricity annually, saving approximately 1.85 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions. Phase 1 of a solar PV panel installation in Pakistan also commenced, which is expected to generate 244,000 kWh per annum. Furthermore, all electricity purchased in the UK and Ireland is from renewables from local grids.

Conserving water

In addition to solar power, dnata is investing in systems to collect and re-use condensate from air conditioning units and rainwater at both of its existing and new facilities. These initiatives optimise water usage and associated costs.

dnata’s new 20,000m2 cargo facility in Iraq, which will begin operations in 2024, will include environmentally sustainable features including a rooftop rainwater harvesting system. This will capture, treat and store rainwater in underground tanks, feeding irrigation systems within the facility as well as for potable uses, achieving a 50% saving on water costs by 2025. The system has also been configured in the Philippines using the same technology, but to collect and recycle rainwater for drinking and washing purposes. This technology will also shortly be implemented at dnata’s Singapore facilities.

With the UAE’s dry climate, dnata has installed a Reverse Osmosis Plant to re-use condensate water from the cooling systems in its cargo warehouses in Dubai. This has resulted in 5,000 litres of water per day being reused for washing and cleaning.

dnata also launched a bottle-free drinking water system at its Corporate Headquarters, dnata Travel Centre and Alpha catering facilities, which will reduce plastic consumption and conserve over 95,000 litres of bottled water per year.

Transforming GSE fleet and using biofuels

dnata continues to invest in the electrification of its ground handling fleet, and the use of biofuels where feasible, to reduce emissions. More than 15% of the company’s global fleet is now electrified. dnata is continuing to support its global airport partners to prepare the infrastructure for further electrification.

dnata understands that electrification is not the only solution to its ground handling fleet strategy. It carefully considers airports’ climatic conditions and available infrastructure, and invests in a mix of equipment types, including biodiesel, electric, hydrogen and hybrid to maximise environmental and operational efficiency globally.

As part of the crucial role that it plays during busy winter operations in Switzerland, dnata added five new hybrid de-icing trucks to its ground support equipment (GSE) fleet in 2022. This increased the number of electric GSE in its operations in the country to 35%. In The Netherlands, dnata switched to 100% biofuel for all its legacy GSE fleet in January 2023, marking another milestone in its sustainable journey in Amsterdam, where 55% of its fleet is electric.

Reducing waste to landfill

In order to reduce its carbon footprint in ways other than emissions, dnata is determined to reduce waste to landfill, and is collaborating with industry leaders and policymakers on the treatment of international catering waste. In close co-ordination with the airport community to enhance the segregation and retrieval of recyclables airside, dnata is targeting a 20% diversion of waste from landfill by 2024. In addition, dnata is investing in sustainable solutions for cargo waste materials, such as transport belts and nets that are currently destined for landfill.

dnata Catering’s retail division is also working closely with its airline partners, introducing the pre-ordering of passenger inflight meals. This cuts significant food wastage, and therefore the need for airlines to burn larger quantities of fuel to transport heavier aircraft, reducing emissions.

IATA’s IEnvA Programme

In December 2022, dnata signed up to the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on globally recognised environmental and sustainability standards, as well as industry best practices. It is a commitment to continually improve environmental sustainability within the aviation field and is focused specifically on dnata’s core operations. These include cargo handling facilities, catering, freight forwarders, and ramp handlers. dnata is working towards full certification prior to the end of 2023.

United Nations Global Impact

dnata also joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a voluntary global initiative that promotes responsible business practices, and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals. dnata has committed to implement the Ten Principles of the UNGC in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. dnata will benefit from access to the UNGC’s extensive tools and resources to engage with its employees across the globe and improve their learning and training in Sustainability.

dnata is a leading global air and travel services provider. Established in 1959, the company offers quality and safe ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in 38 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 710,000 aircraft turns, moved over 2.7 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 111.4 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 1.9 billion.

In his new role, Charles will oversee dnata’s operations at 13 airports in four countries, including Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia, managing 4,800 aviation professionals. Charles will be based in Singapore and report to David Barker, dnata’s Divisional Senior Vice President for Airport Operations. Charles’s appointment is effective immediately.

Charles has over 20 years of experience in the global aviation, travel and logistics industries. He has been with dnata for over three years, previously leading the commercial development of dnata’s international airport operations division globally. He has also been a board director of dnata USA since 2020. Prior to joining dnata, Charles held various senior leadership roles at Swissport International and Thomson Airways in both Switzerland and the UK.

David Barker said: “In recent years dnata has significantly invested in infrastructure, equipment and technology, earning the trust and loyalty of dozens of new airline customers across the Asia Pacific region. Charles’s broad experience and passion for quality and customer success will help us cement our leading position in this strategic market. We stay focussed on consistently delivering world-class services and safety at all dnata airports globally.”

A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata provides quality and safe ground handling, cargo, catering and travel services in 35 countries. In the financial year 2020-21 dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled 290,000 aircraft, moved 2.7 million tons of cargo, and uplifted some 17 million meals.

Manila, 7 October 2020 – marhaba, one of the world’s leading airport hospitality brands, continues to expand its network to provide world-class hospitality and ensure a safe and smooth travel experience for more passengers globally. In addition to its popular facilities in Dubai, Melbourne, Karachi and Singapore, marhaba opened another airport lounge in Manila in the Philippines and now offers excellent value services to passengers of all airlines and travel classes at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), too.

Located at Terminal 1, the newest marhaba lounge features comfortable seating for over 85 guests, a prayer room, a private meeting room and shower facilities. It is open 24 hours a day and offers Wi-Fi and all-day dining with an international cuisine catering to a wide range of dietary and ethnic requirements. The comfort of guests is ensured by a diverse team of 30 customer-oriented staff, who speak five languages.

marhaba has implemented a number of measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of customers and agents. The lounge offers touchless payment options and frequently undergoes increased cleaning and sanitisation with specific focus on high-touch surfaces. marhaba lounge staff have all been thoroughly trained on health and safety protocols, and wear a mask and abide by social distancing guidelines while serving passengers.

Passengers can make online bookings at marhabaservices.com or simply walk in and pay for access on the spot. The lounge is also available for members of several airport lounge programmes.

Shahab Al Awadhi, Head of marhaba Global, said: "We are excited to add Manila to the global marhaba network. Taking advantage of our extensive experience in hospitality, airport and catering services, we pride ourselves in offering a premium lounge product that has been designed to fully meet the needs of passengers of all travel classes. In addition, we have taken a number of initiatives to maximise safety and provide passengers with complete peace of mind in our brand new lounge.

"We will work hard to earn the trust and loyalty of Manila passengers by delivering world-class services, every day."

marhaba, which means 'welcome' in Arabic, was launched in the UAE to help passengers arriving in or departing from Dubai International Airport. The popularity of meet & greet services has grown exponentially in line with Dubai's growth as a major international travel hub, and marhaba has continually expanded its product offering with a growing list of services and extra options designed to make the passenger airport experience as comfortable as possible.

marhaba started to expand its global footprint in 2017 by opening new airport lounges in Karachi (Pakistan) and Melbourne (Australia). Since then, it has opened an additional facility in Singapore and substantially increased the capacity of its airport lounges in Dubai. Including the new Manila lounge, marhaba will operate airport lounges in six countries providing service excellence to passengers with a team of over 800 customer-oriented employees.

The marhaba brand is part of dnata, one of the world's largest air services providers. A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata offers ground handling, cargo and catering services at 126 airports in 19 countries.

The initial series covered leadership training courses of which almost 500 have been successfully completed till date. dnata will be expanding these with more programmes to equip the Singapore team with emerging skills that will support the company’s digital innovation and transformation drive in the months ahead. Partnering with organisations like the National University of Singapore (NUS) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Learning Hub, a key focus remains to enhance the team’s skills to use and analyse data that would better position the business in a post-pandemic environment.

Building on the importance of e-learning, dnata has refreshed its internal Learning Management System - My Learning Zone, which is gradually being rolled out to the various stations across the company's network. The digital platform supports dnata’s efforts to provide a more structured learning pathway for the employees through a competency development roadmap. Not only does it enhance learning and its effectiveness via engagement and mobile learning, but it also allows the company to track staff capabilities and compliance that also provides customers with additional reassurance.

In Australia, interactive multi-media technology has been used to transfer traditional face-to-face learning into remote delivery formats. This has enabled training to be facilitated across state borders and ports, alleviating the need for travel and the impacts of social distancing restrictions. In one initiative, a trainer in Adelaide delivered a program to several learners in Brisbane. The learners where able to view the training from their home or local workplace. Other training initiatives in Australia have focussed on the cross-skilling and re-skilling of team members to move from COVID impacted business areas to those areas with higher operational demand. Where possible, this training has been delivered using the existing e-learning platform.

At dnata in the Philippines, learning does not stop during the pandemic either. In exceptional cases where face-to-face training cannot be eliminated, dnata continues to conduct training without compromising the safety of staff by strictly observing established safety protocols. As at other stations across the network, dnata has moved a considerable degree of training to internet-based learning, which has proven to be effective.

Dirk Goovaerts, Regional CEO Asia Pacific, dnata, said: “It has been encouraging to witness the positive spirit of our people, especially the older workforce embracing technology in their learning journey and going out of their comfort zone to ensure we remain relevant and agile during the road to recovery.”

Dubai/Manila, 9 January 2019– dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, continues to be recognized for achieving the highest safety standards. The company has renewed its IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) Registration by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the Philippines, and obtained ISAGO Station Accreditations at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), Cebu Mactan International Airport (CEB) and Clark Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (CRK) following successful completion of ISAGO Audits at these airports.  

dnata’s operations in Manila have already been ISAGO registered since 2010. The renewal of the ISAGO Registration in the Philippine capital demonstrates the company’s ability to meet the highest safety and security standards.  

Margaret L. Yu, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Philippines, said: “Safety and security are fundamental aspects of our operations. We always aim to achieve the highest possible safety standards for our customers, their passengers as well as our employees and facilities, and our efforts are clearly reflected in our corporate culture, trainings and processes.”

“The achievement of the prestigious ISAGO certification at all of our Philippine airports is an important milestone, which once again underscores our uncompromised focus on safety and service excellence.”

“We continue to enhance our operations and safety culture by consistently improving our work practices and developing our team.”

 ISAGO is an industry global standard for the oversight and audit of ground service providers. It is complementary to the internationally recognized and accepted IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an air operator. The implementation of the ISAGO aims to address the safety risks and incident costs of ground operations.

ISAGO is conducted in a standardized and consistent manner using internationally recognized standards and requires conformance with the applicable ISAGO Standards and Recommended Practices at both the corporate and station levels.

--ENDS

About dnata  

dnata is one of the world’s largest air services providers. Established in 1959, the company ensures the aviation industry operates smoothly and efficiently in 127 airports. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services in 85 countries across six continents, dnata is a trusted partner for over 300 airline customers around the world. Each day, the company handles over 1,900 flights, carries over 9,000 tonnes of cargo, books over 21,000 hotel stays, and uplifts over 320,000 meals.

DUBAI U.A.E., & Manila, Philippines: Over the past six months, dnata has strengthened its commitment to the economic development and tourism industry in the Philippines with the opening of a new lounge at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International airport (NAIA) and a contact centre in Clark.

dnata first entered the Philippines in 1998, with a team of 80 providing ground handling services to one cargo airline. Since that time, the company has continued to grow and now employs more than 300 people between its airport operations and contact centre.

“The Philippines is important to dnata’s growth strategy,” said Gary Chapman, President, dnata. “There is considerable potential in the region, with its strong commitment to tourism and services— two industries dnata has deep experience in. I expect the relationship between dnata and the Philippines to continue to grow, just as it has since 1998.”

New Skyview Lounge

On 11th February 2015, dnata opened its newest lounge at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3. Open 24-hours a day, the lounge will welcome the premium passengers of customer airline, Emirates, as well as bank premium cardholders.

“The lounge will provide passengers of our customer airlines a quiet break from their travel,” said Margaret Yu, CEO, dnata Philippines. “Passenger traffic from NAIA continues to grow, having doubled since 2005, and the demand for passenger lounges has grown with it. Our Skyview lounge will be a premium airport experience for passengers transiting through Terminal 3.”

This is the first lounge dnata will operate in the international hub, and the 13th lounge in eight airports around the globe. Passengers accessing the Skyview Lounge will find an international selection of hot and cold food, a range of beverages, televisions, newspapers and business centres with everything needed to ensure comfort and productivity.

dnata's Clark Contact Centre

In September 2014, dnata opened a new contact centre facility in Clark, supporting the needs of all dnata businesses, from corporate travel to baggage handling services. The 700-seat facility can support up to 1,500 full-time local jobs through its 24-hour operations. 

“Clark was the perfect choice for our new contact centre,” said Iain Andrew, Divisional Senior Vice President, dnata Travel. “The city is strategically positioned in the heart of the growing Asia-Pacific market, the population is highly educated, and much of the employee base is multi-lingual. The facility has the capacity to grow with our business, and its capabilities are a valuable resource to our global businesses, our travel customers, and our airline partners.”

The centre currently offers services in English, Mandarin, Spanish and Tagalog. When fully operational, the facility will be able to handle more than 500,000 customer contacts each month.

Based in Dubai, dnata, part of Emirates Group, is a leading provider of air travel services across five continents. www.dnata.com

Paul Gale, Head of Global Contact Centre Services, said: “There are now eight dnata operations in Clark, and we already employ around 125 people. The new centre has the capacity to seat 700 people, and we expect to be using most of that capacity within the next five years as the business grows. It is an excellent facility for our colleagues, with a great working environment, including a suite of meeting rooms, purpose-built canteen and relaxation areas.

“Clark is right at the heart of the growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region and offers numerous benefits and opportunities for dnata. We currently offer customer services in English and Mandarin.”

DUBAI, UAE and Manila, Philippines – 24^th July 2014: dnata’s operations in Manila has secured RA3 certification for its ramp services at Ninoy Aquino International airport. RA3 is short for ‘Third Country EU Aviation Security Validated Regulated Agents’, a supply-chain security initiative of the European Union. dnata is one of the first ramp operations providers in the country to receive the RA3 certification.

The certification – granted by EU-approved and trained validators – confirms the procedures dnata implements are compliant with EU-requirements. RA3 certification ensures the smooth transport of cargo to European Union destinations, improving efficiency and the flow of goods from Manila and the rest of the Philippines.

“Last year dnata supported the transport of more than 11,000 tonnes of cargo. With the RA3 certification, our customers can be confident their goods will arrive smoothly and securely at destinations throughout Europe,” said Margaret Yu, General Manager, dnata’s operations in the Philippines. “We work closely with our partners in Manila to ensure our services meet and exceed international standards.” 

With the RA3 certification, EU-member states recognise dnata’s operations in Manila as a regulated agent, and security controls applied on its ramp services are of a standard acceptable to EU authorities. For customers it means goods travelling to EU states are considered secure, and will have fewer troubles reaching its final destinations.

The RA3 certification complements the global air cargo industry’s drive to meet the European Union’s ACC3 requirements—the final phase of which goes into effect on 1st July 2014. ACC3 is short for ‘Air Cargo or Mail Carrier operating into the Union from a Third Country Airport’.

In addition to its ramp services in Manila, dnata’s cargo facilities at Dubai International, Dubai World Central, Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi are RA3 certified.

It’s been a busy few months for the team in the Philippines, with some extremely testing times along the way. After a hectic launch of services in Clark International (CRK) in October, our dedicated colleagues had less than a month to settle in before the country was battered by its worst natural disaster in living memory.

Hitting the Philippines’ central islands on November 7, Typhoon Haiyan has claimed the lives of over 5,000 people and left 600,000 without a home.

Fortunately both of our Philippines operations – CRK and the more established Manila International Airport (MNL) – are located far from the affected areas. Yet, as you can imagine, the news of the tragedy was a shock for the new team.

Jeff Versoza, Learning and Development Manager, dnata Philippines, explains. “The first few days after that calamitous event were quite a challenge, especially when initial reports and updates started to be aired on TV and the internet.”

However, the team responded in the best possible way – by joining together to help the victims. “Both MNL and CRK have set up a campaign to collect relief goods. Also, both operations have decided to forego this year’s Christmas party and divert the intended budget to the fund drive for typhoon victims,” reveals Jeff. This effort was boosted by Gary Chapman’s pledge to match the funds raised, effectively doubling the donation.

The entire One dnata family has reacted to the tragedy, with different divisions and units collecting donations of cash, clothes, food and other supplies.

“So far we have delivered hygiene kits and food items to a social welfare centre at MNL, which serves as a temporary shelter for victims airlifted to Manila from the affected areas,” adds Jeff.

The team spirit was bolstered by a special visit from Oliver Mathwich, General Manager of dnata in Erbil, who helped distribute the relief items.

It wasn’t the first time that the fledgling team had to respond to a natural disaster. In fact, before Haiyan, CRK was hit by a strong typhoon that destroyed the roof of the new terminal, leaving the interiors and the equipment drenched. A large part of the terminal was left without electricity for several days.

“Our staff conscientiously reported to work despite being victims themselves of a strong typhoon. They had to work in sub-normal conditions while the terminal had to undergo major repairs before it re-opened,” says Jeff.

DUBAI, UAE and Manila, Philippines, 02^nd September 2013: dnata continues its international growth with the announcement it will commence airport handling operations at Clark International Airport, in the Philippines. The announcement marks the company’s 75^th airport location, and its second location in the Philippines.

dnata will provide airport handling for Emirates Airline’s daily service from Dubai to Clark International as of 1^st October 2013. Clark International Airport serves the Greater Manila area and the northern regions of Luzon. Last year the airport welcomed more than 700,000 passengers.

“Entering Clark International Airport is a milestone for dnata, growing our international footprint to 75 airports,” said Gary Chapman, dnata’s President. “The dnata team in the Philippines has a reputation for delivering industry-leading services to each of our customers. It is this reputation which fuels the expansion into Clark International.”

Operating in the Philippines since 1999, dnata’s team at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila handled more than 1.2 million passengers last year. To fulfil the terms of the new contract, dnata expects to hire an additional 30 individuals, growing dnata’s team in the Philippines to more than 250.